Music box
by Ninsg Veen
Summary: When vegeta and Bulma find a music box in an old mansion they decide to turn it on. Something happens though, something unpleasant...
1. Prologue: The song

~Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z, nor do I own the song I implanted in the epilogue, which is from the musical/movie 'chitty chitty bang bang'. I have not seen that movie though so... I do however own the plot. Although even that seems familiar... Aaagh whatever just read it.~  
  
~Prologue: The song~  
  
A high voice pitches through the room. It sounds happy yet sad.  
  
What do you see, you people gazing at me?  
You see a girl on a music box that is wound by a key.  
  
The girl on the blue music box makes strange moves while she sings her song.  
  
How can you tell?  
I'm under a spell  
I'm waiting for loves first kiss.  
  
She stretches her arms towards the boy that is dancing next to her.  
  
You cannot see  
How much I long to be free  
You see a doll on a music box that is wound by a key  
  
Yearning  
  
Yearning  
Why I'm turning around and around.  
  
The boy begins to sing. His voice is low and there is also a trace of sadness.  
  
Truly scrumptious  
You're truly truly scrumptious  
Scrumptious as a cherry-peach-parfait  
When you're near me  
It's so delicious  
Honest truly  
You're the answer to my wishes.  
  
The boy now too stretches his arms towards her; his hands do not touch hers.  
  
You're truly scrumptious  
Though I may seem presumptuous  
Never, never ever go away.  
  
They both reach out to each other. Even though their songs differ they still match.  
  
My heart beats so unruly  
Because I love you truly  
Honest truly  
I do.  
  
When the music stops, they end there singing. Their bodies freeze into their doll like state. The large music box that was in the middle of the room closed itself, leaving the two lonely dolls in nothing but darkness. Forever reaching. 


	2. Chapter one: A ghostly mansion

~Chapter1: A ghostly mansion~  
  
From the air you could see it: a big old mansion in the midst of the woods. The gardens were neglected and some of the windows were broken. It was obvious that no one had occupied it for a very long time. Life had abandoned it a long time ago. The style of the exterior dated back to the days that even Kami did not watch over the earth yet. And maybe it dated even before that era. Vegeta noticed it from afar, as if the house had his own Ki. When he was nearby he slowed down until he fully stopped. Bulma, whom was lying comfortable on her stomach on Vegeta's back, noticed the sudden change in movement and looked up.  
'What's wrong, Vegeta? Why are you stopping?' Vegeta aligned himself vertically so that Bulma now almost was falling. With a quick move he took her in his arms. Again she asked him what was wrong. Vegeta frowned.  
'I sense a Ki. It's power is all over the place.' He descended down and finally landed on a path that led to the entrance of the mansion. To the left and right of them there was a garden. The only plants that lived in it were dark red roses that grew on thorny strands. The roses frightened Bulma. In spite of what she felt, she touched one of them. A feeling of sadness and remorse suddenly coursed through her. She let go of the rose and ran towards the door, where Vegeta now was standing.  
'This house creeps me out.' She whispered to him. 'It seems to be deserted. I don't think anyone has been here for a very long time. Or else they had done something about the roses.' She pointed her finger in the direction of the garden. Vegeta put his hand on the wooden door. Bulma saw him flinch through which he pulled his hand back.  
'This house has a Ki. I felt it in the air.' Bulma also laid her hand on the door and closed her eyes. Again the feeling of the rose coursed through her veins. She took one step back and turned her head to face Vegeta.  
'What was that?' Bulma asked him. She knew that Ki's didn't feel like that even though she'd never sensed one. He said nothing. Bulma looked at the door again. She slowly stretched her hand towards the doorknob. Before Bulma had opened the door, Vegeta had already given it a kick. The door now held a big hole in it.  
'You could have just opened it with a soft push, you know.' Bulma stepped through the hole and looked around. The light that shone inside from the hole lit up the hallway. The dust that was there for perhaps centuries had settled on the floor. On the place where the door had crashed down, the dust had flown in the air. When Bulma headed to another door, she left footsteps in the thick layer of grime. She opened the door. Vegeta had already flown up the stairs. He flew because he didn't think that the staircase would be intact after so many years. Why he chose to go upstairs he didn't know. When he was in the hall that came out at the end of the stairs, he didn't land on the floor but kept flying in fear of the whole place crashing down. I should be training. Why does this house interest me so much? Something was drawing Vegeta to the door at the end of the hall. He flew towards it and flung it open as if saying, Fine I'll see what is in that room, just know that you do not control me. Inside there was a double bed with curtains around it. Vegeta softly landed on the floor, making sure that it wasn't going to crack. He then walked to the bed and shifted the curtains aside. What he saw even startled the Saiyan prince for a brief moment. In the bed lay a skeleton. It was clear that it had been there for a very long time; the flesh had completely rotten away. The only thing left were bones and the clothes that the sleeping dead person was wearing. Whether it was male or female, Vegeta could not see. However he did see the necklace the skeleton was wearing. It was a big key, larger than normal. Without thinking about what he was doing, Vegeta ripped it from its neck. The head of the carcass rolled from the bed and crashed to the ground. On that moment Bulma walked in.  
'Ah, here you are. I have been looking for you. I called you a thousand times why didn't you answer?'  
'I did not hear you.' He said vaguely, still holding the key in his hand. He placed himself in front of the bed to hide the dead individual he had just so harshly dishonoured.  
'I need you with something. There is a big large blue box downstairs and I really want to know what's inside of it. Maybe you can use your laser beam or laser eyes to open it.' Vegeta gave her an angry look.  
'My power is not to be mocked.' Even though he didn't want to take orders from Bulma he decided, no again he was drawn; something was making his decisions for him, and was telling him to go with Bulma. So he and Bulma walked outside of the room. But he stopped her when she came near the staircase. He grabbed her and flew with her down the stairs.  
'This house is old and in bad shape, don't climb any shaky stairs. The whole place could come crashing down in a minute.'  
'Who's the scientist here? But you're right it is quite old and shaky.' She let go of him as soon as they were down and walked over her own footsteps in the dust to the open door. Vegeta followed her into the ballroom-like chamber. It had nothing in it except one big blue box. In this room there were a lot of windows, many of which were broken. It at least smelled better than the bedroom he had been in. Vegeta headed for the box and wanted to smash the lock that sealed it, but he stopped as soon as he noticed the keyhole. He looked at the key in his hand and then back to the box. Suddenly Bulma grabbed the key from his hand and pushed it in the lock.  
'Great, where did you find it?' The lock clicked. The blue box could be opened like two doors so Bulma pushed the two sides from each other. Light shone on the contents, light that hadn't reached inside for a very long time. 


	3. Chapter two: Puppets

~Chapter 2: Puppets~  
  
For a while they stared at the two dolls that stood on the platform reaching to each other.  
'They look so real.' Bulma said while she inspected the girl doll. She wore a cute pink dress and red-white socks that reached above her knees. Bulma then looked at the boy doll. He wore brown trousers and above that a white-blue striped T- shirt. Both of the dolls had strange clownish make-up on. Bulma circled around the blue box in the hope of finding out more about this thing. When she came to the back of the box she noticed a winder. She tried to move it but she wasn't strong enough to wind the oldness out of the winder. She didn't move it one inch. She stopped pulling and asked (partially ordered) Vegeta to wind it for her. He did not say a thing and just did what was asked of him.  
'Don't use too much power. I don't want it to be broken by you showing of that you're mighty.' Bulma mockingly remarked. Again he looked at her angrily and said to her that he was far more powerful than being able to pull a lever. When he let go of the winder, music started to sound from the box. Bulma jumped to the other side of the music-making box and exclaimed a 'wow'. She ran back to Vegeta and pulled him in front of the music box.  
'Look at this, look at them.' She said pointing at the two dolls that were now dancing. Even though their moves were stiffly, they still looked very realistic. Vegeta watched them, not caring. Suddenly Bulma's eyes fell on an inscription behind the dolls. It was a metal plate screwed to the back of the music box. She climbed on the platform, crawled between the dolls and pushed herself against the wall to let the dolls dance their dance. Her face was very close to the plate, but she could still read what was on it.  
  
In order to revive dolls in music box  
  
You need:  
A woman to chant the first two lines  
A man for the last two lines  
Repeat the following words:  
  
I shall be wired to music  
I shall be a dancing prince  
  
I shall be wired to music  
  
I shall be a dancing princess  
  
In order to break the spell completely  
You need to destroy the magical music box.  
  
'Hey Vegeta, can you say something for me?' 'I don't have to say anything for you, woman.' Bulma sighed. 'You'll like the lines, just say: I shall be wired to music, I shall be a dancing prince. That's all you have to say. Please?' Vegeta raised an eyebrow. 'Fine.' He sighed. 'I shall be wired to music; I shall be a dancing prince.' After that he stated that he, 'was indeed a prince but that he didn't dance.' Bulma smiled and said the other lines. She then crawled to the edge of the platform and climbed of it. There she studied the dolls for any changes. After a few seconds the dolls started moving in a different way. The girl started singing while she jumped off the platform. Her moves were now more real and flexible. She danced towards Bulma and took her hand. They both started dancing. Bulma laughed and happily danced with the living doll. Vegeta looked at the two with a smirk on his face. Strange woman. If this is her idea of fun then she is easily pleased. Then the boy jumped of the platform and also started singing. He danced towards Vegeta and swirled around him. The girl let go of Bulma and danced to the boy doll. They locked hands and danced together through the ballroom. 'Thank Kami he was not planning on dancing with me.' Vegeta stated, looking at Bulma who was still dancing. She slowly approached Vegeta and took his hands into hers. She pulled him close and spun around with him. Vegeta didn't exactly want to do this, but he couldn't control himself. He danced with Bulma in circles, not noticing the darkness that began to form around them. They still felt like they were dancing when the music stopped and they were placed on the platform. They didn't notice that their bodies were frozen. They didn't notice that they had traded places with the dolls and had become dolls themselves. 


	4. Chapter three: Revival

~Chapter 3: revival~  
  
The dust had twirled around in the ballroom. It was now settled on the ground again. The two dolls lie on the floor, covered with dust. The boy moved his head and coughed. He raised his head to see the girl.  
'Celine, Celine!' She trembled, groaned and slowly moved her fingers. When she tried to raise her head she coughed heavily and turned herself on her back. There she coughed some more until she sat up and inhaled deeply.  
'Jack.' That's all she could say for the moment. She coughed again to regain speech. 'Jack what happened?' Jack looked around the room. When he turned around he saw the music box. He let himself fall to the ground again.  
'No. The marionette-man has done it again.' He buried his head in his hands and screamed. Celine ran up to him and let herself fall to the ground. She wrapped her arms around Jack and hugged him. A tear streamed from her face.  
'It's going to be all right. At least we are safe.' She now turned around to face the new dolls. 'Times must have changed. They wear strange clothes. I wonder how long we have been up there.' She then looked down at her own clothes. 'This isn't really fashionable either.' She inspected the new dolls again. The man had the strangest outfit she'd ever seen, like a top that protected his chest. His hair was strangely spiked up. Celine climbed up the box and touched his hair. 'Weird. How can hair be so soft if you don't use gel?' Jack looked at the masculine figure on the box. 'Does it matter? He's doomed.' 'No he's not and neither is she.' She turned around to face the female doll. 'Whatever the time is we are in now, they must have a solution to spells. I bet somebody found a great counter curse.' She looked at the woman. Her clothes were quite to her liking. They weren't normal since she wore trousers but still they made her look more powerful. 'I want her clothes' Celine undressed the woman and dressed her with the dolly clothes. When she finished pulling the T-shirt over her head she sighed. 'They fit me wonderfully.' She looked down at her new outfit and noticed a label on the jeans. 'Capsule Corp. again? That name is written on all of her clothes. What does it mean?' Jack shrugged 'Corp. means corporation maybe she works at a corporation called capsule or something.' He said in a sad voice.  
'If we were to go to this corporation, maybe we'd find out what we can  
do about this. And who they are.' Jack obviously saw hope and his face  
lit up. 'Is there an address on it?' Celine frowned. 'No. But we can ask the people outside.' She slightly raised her arm towards the window. 'So get dressed and we can go.' 'And wear that?' With a raised eyebrow he looked at the man's clothes. 'It may be strange for you but obviously the people nowadays wear such things.' Jack sighed, climbed on the music box and reluctantly started undressing the man. After he took of his spandex suit, he looked horrified at Celine. 'He's totally naked underneath...' She laughed. 'Does it truly matter? You have seen a male body before. You are a man yourself. You do know that?' Again reluctantly, he undressed himself and pulled his new outfit on. After dressing himself, he dressed up the man with his old dolly clothes. 'What are we going to do with our faces?' Jack said while he looked at the white streak on his hand, which he just rubbed over his head. She looked at his face and giggled. 'You are right. Let's find some water and clean ourselves.' 


	5. Chapter four: Searching

~Chapter 4: Searching~  
  
~Don't run away  
I will find you  
Not to worry  
They don't belong there  
You do~  
  
Vegeta let go of Bulma and stopped dancing. He looked around.  
'Where are we?'  
'I think we're still in the same room, Vegeta.'  
'It does not feel the same. This room is different.' Bulma looked around.  
'I don't see any difference and I can't sense like you do so I don't think it has changed.' Vegeta snorted  
'Bah, humans.' He walked upon her and laid his hand on her shoulder. 'Feel through me.' Bulma closed her eyes. Vegeta locked his energy with hers.  
'I understand, but maybe it is not the environment that has changed. Maybe...' She glanced at the blue music box that was now closed. Vegeta walked towards it and wanted to open it but his hands just disappeared into the box. Quickly he pulled them back.  
'What the? ....' He exclaimed.  
'No, this can't be right.' She now tried to open the box but like Vegeta, her hands also disappeared into the box. This startled her so that she fell forwardly into the box. A grunt escaped her mouth when she hit the hard ground. She lifted herself up, which made her vanish in the music box completely. After another grunt, Vegeta could hear a gasp.  
'Oh Kami. Vegeta come and look at this. Bulma emerged from the box's walls and pulled Vegeta inside it.  
'It is dark here but I think... I think that.' She said no more. They looked up at two shadowed figures that stood on the platform. Vegeta raised his energy level and the box lit up. The dolls that had stood there were gone, replaced by... them. The box lit up more. Bulma looked at Vegeta and saw his hair grow blonde and his eyes change into green. His fist clenched.  
'Damn those stupid dolls! I do not wish to be dressed like them.' He raised his arms towards their doll selves and shot a Ki blast. It went right through them. The energy of the blast threw Bulma to the end of the ballroom. Again she grunted.  
'Just because we wear stupid clothes doesn't mean you have to go super saiyan. Kami, you're a real hothead.' He looked at her with so much anger it startled her.  
'Have you not noticed that we are up there and not down here, alive?!'  
'Look, I got the point. But we have to be calm in this sort of situation, you know, that is usually what you do' She snarled back at him. He growled and made his hair change black again. His angry frown turned into a smirk and he started laughing.  
'My, woman. Calm you say? You don't tend to be calm when needed.' Bulma gave him a sarcastic smile. A flash of Namek memory went through her head.  
'Let's just find those dolls and try to figure out what is wrong here,  
ok?' He inhaled and softly nodded.  
  
He didn't know why he obeyed this woman that he had come to appreciate so much. Maybe he indeed did love her. Though that was not a worthy reason to follow her, he did. To protect her, it seemed, from some threat that even he did not know. So he followed her way out, through a wall, into the sad garden. To find answers to questions even he couldn't think of. One question remained though. How could a simple creature degrade his power to something as worthless as a kitchen knife?  
  
It was raining outside. Jack's new outfit kept him dry, but Celine was totally soaked. She felt that her shoes had filled up with water and when she walked, it made these sopping and sucking noises.  
'Well, I believe that my outfit has one asset that yours doesn't' Jack said in sarcasm. Celine looked at the people on the streets that held umbrellas above their heads. They were far away, but close enough to see that the men didn't wear the same as Jack did.  
'At least I have some style. I can see fashion hasn't changed for men.' Jack glanced at a boy with his trousers almost on his knees and a very large T-shirt.  
'I am not sure; I have not seen outfits like that before.' He said while pointing to the boy. Celine shrugged and kept walking.  
'We need to ask those people where Capsule Corp. is. Maybe they could even take us there.' Jack nodded and sped up his pace. When they reached the first human, Celine immediately started asking the woman questions. The woman ignored her and started to walk faster. Jack turned to a man with a suit on.  
'Sir, please, can you tell us where Capsule Corporation is?' Jack pointed at the emblem embroider on Celine's arm. The man gave them a weird look. 'Everyone knows where Capsule corp. is!' With that he turned around and walked away. Jack and Celine sighed. Suddenly a man started yelling at them.  
'Vegeta! What the devil have you done to your hair' Jack turned around to see who was yelling. A man with his hair spiked in every way and a big smile ran upon them. When he saw that Jack wasn't Vegeta his smiled turned into a confused look.  
'Who are you and what are you doing in that armor?' When he came closer he noticed that Celine was wearing familiar clothes too. Jack grabbed the opportunity to ask him where capsule corp. was.  
'Would you perhaps know where Capsule Corporation is located?'  
'Yes I know where it is, but what are you doing in Vegeta and Bulma's clothes?'  
'Would this Vegeta have black spiked up hair and a massive chest?' Celine said. 'And does this Bulma have blue hair and matching eyes?'  
'Yes they do! Do you know them? Is that how you got the clothes?'  
'We believe that they are in grave danger, and we need to get to capsule corp. to find relatives and friends, to help solve this problem.'  
'I would be happy to help you. I know them very well. Let me take you there.'  
'Thank you very much... um'  
'Son Goku, but call me Goku.'  
'Well Goku, my name is Jack Landers. And this here is my fiancée: Celine Jinia Landers.'  
'It's great that you came along. It was time we needed an adventure, all this training is really getting boring.' Celine and Jack looked at each other in confusion. 


	6. Chapter five: Join in

~Chapter 5: Join in.~  
  
As soon as they got outside, they noticed the giant difference that had fallen on the dark garden. Instead of shadow there was light and there were flowers blooming all over the place. Bulma was amazed by the change of colour from the black roses. She walked towards a flowerbed and reached out her hand to touch one of the now red roses. The thorns had disappeared.  
'Why do you even bother trying to touch them? Your hand will go right through it anyway.' Despite Vegeta's mocking, she laid her hand on one of the stem. Her hand didn't go through it. She was amazed by this and pulled the entire plant out of the ground in surprise. She held the plant in front of Vegeta's nose with its roots dripping dirt.  
'I suppose this is also not part of the 'real' world either.' She plucked the rose and threw the rest of the plant away. She smelled it and stuck it in her hair. Calm, Vegeta thought, she was indeed calm. Perhaps a little to calm.  
'Can you still fly?' Bulma asked while she looked west. He lifted himself up from the ground and turned himself up side down. She smiled. 'Good, now you can fly us to Capsule Corp. We need to find a way to get out of this mess. He kept hanging up side down and picked Bulma from the ground. Then he turned to face west and aligned himself horizontally. With incredible speed, he rushed off, leaving the mansion behind. A yellow trail followed them. She is still controlling me. How does she do it? And I just keep complying, like a puppy. Almost humiliating. He tightened his grip on Bulma and accelerated his current speed.  
  
Their first impression of capsule Corp., that it was huge. It was, like most of the houses they encountered on the way, a sort of dome shaped building. The sign that said: 'Welcome to Capsule Corporation!' was relatively small to the size of the ground Capsule corp. stood on.  
'Here we are!' Goku said, still being very happy. Jack thought he was acting way to eased, considering the fact his friends were in danger. He doubted Bulma and Vegeta were really his friends. But he didn't pay much attention to this, because Goku did bring them to Capsule Corp. Celine accepted the new world. She was amazed at it all, of course, but she just let it all happen. A blonde woman ran outside, screaming Goku's name. Her voice was kind of squeaky and it irritated both Jack and Celine.  
'Goku honey, do you want something to drink? I'm sure you need some refreshment after such a hard day of training.'  
-'No thanks, Mrs. Briefs. I have brought some friends with me who have got some bad news about your daughter.'  
'Oh no! Did she fall in the water again?' Celine steps forward.  
'Is Bulma your daughter?' Mrs. Briefs nodded. 'Then I believe she is stuck on a music box together with a man I have heard is called Vegeta. They have been turned into dolls by an evil spell they presumably chanted.'  
  
-'O' was the answer Mrs. Briefs replied. 'I'm sure they're all right. Vegeta is around her, so nothing can go wrong.' She still kept smiling.  
'Ma'am, maybe you don't understand, they are in grave danger if we don't get them back!' Celine said, obviously being very shocked by the ease of Goku and Mrs. Briefs.  
'Yes, my daughter is always seeking danger. I guess that is why she's in love with Vegeta. He'll save her in some way. And if not, Goku can help her. Right Goku?'  
-'Yeah sure. Want me to go and save her?' He turned to face the very shocked couple. They just nodded. 


	7. Chapter six: Back again

~Chapter 6: Back again~  
  
~Ah of course you seek it again,  
This is where you belong.  
I will make you stay forever,  
Do not run away,  
I warn you,  
Don't run away. ~  
  
Celine and Jack were given cookies and tea in a weird can. They actually had eaten a lot of cookies already at Capsule corp. but they just took everything Mrs. Briefs gave them, to be polite. The vessel they were now in was an airplane. The airplanes Jack and Celine were accustomed to were small and just for one or two persons. This one was huge. If Mr. Briefs wanted to, he could place an elephant in it. He was controlling the ship with ease, looking backwards at them, talking to Goku. Although Jack was getting kind of airsick, Goku thought the ship wasn't going fast enough. They were on the way to 'Valindale mansion', so Goku and Dr. Briefs could investigate the music box. Celine didn't think Goku was capable of using his brains, because he was rather jolly on the way, not really realising the danger of what were to come. Goku had explained to them he was quite powerful, but Celine thought even Earth's strongest man couldn't overthrow the marionette-warlock.  
  
They were flying. With her arms wrapped around Vegeta, Bulma lay on his back. She hugged him and inhaled his scent, something she also did a month ago. She and Vegeta stood on a very small island in the middle of a blue ocean. The day after that must have changed a lot for her. Could she tell Vegeta she held new life? Would he reject her or embrace her, like he had done then? He would know of course, when she was all swollen. If he embraced her when she told him, would he still love her when she had to buy extra-large clothes? And the scariest question she asked herself: Would this situation they were in, affect her pregnancy? She tried to forget this, but it roamed through her head like a ghost and she couldn't bare the thought of losing the first child she would have of him. Vegeta had felt her hands tighten to his chest. He also felt a sad and tense feeling coming from Bulma. He didn't know why, he didn't want to know. But somehow he felt it. Suddenly Vegeta's senses flickered. A very familiar Ki was closing, a rather high one. He stopped to sense further.  
'Kakarot!'  
'What? Goku? Where?' Bulma lifted herself up to see the horizon. There was nothing there but endless green forest. Vegeta pointed to a small black dot, growing larger. He powered up and flew towards the dark spot. The black turned into yellow, a familiar colour. The word that was written on the craft was easy to distinct: Capsule Corporation. Bulma pinched Vegeta, whom stopped to meet the plain. It didn't stop, but went, like everything else they had encountered on the way (birds, flies etc.), right through them. Vegeta and Bulma could see the two former dolls and ... Goku. Vegeta exclaimed another 'Kakarot' and Bulma yelled for her father. They both didn't listen. Vegeta powered up again and flew along side the CC- craft. The only thing they could do was to fly with them to wherever they were going.  
'Where would they be going?' Bulma asked.  
'They seem to follow the direction to the music box mansion.'  
'That's good right? Maybe we could somehow show them the plate on the back of the box, and Goku could destroy the box. It could work right?'  
'You seem to forget woman, that we are there too. And perhaps by destroying the box, it would destroy us as well.'  
'They could take us off that platform first.'  
'That is not what I meant. What if that music box was the only thing keeping us alive? What then? I don't intend to die again!' Bulma pushed her head against his back. He was right; He had to fight those evil androids and she didn't want to die too, now she held a part of him inside of her.  
'We have to try and contact them.' She said. No matter what.  
  
'Did you feel that?' Jack nodded. They both felt a weird shivery feeling, not exactly cold, just shivery.  
'Do you suppose that was Vegeta and Bulma?' Jack asked her. Celine shrugged.  
'Could well be.'  
'But how? We are too high in the air for humans to reach. Would they have a plane too?'  
'I didn't see one when we were in that dimension.' Goku looked at them.  
'Vegeta isn't human.' Celine laughed.  
'What is he then? A bird?'  
'The closest thing to an animal would be a monkey. But no, Vegeta is, like me, a Saiyan. We're sort of aliens.' Jack and Celine again looked at each other in amazement. These people were really weird. They flew in huge cargo vessels and the majority were alien.  
  
Close to dusk, all flights reached 'Valindale'. 


	8. Chapter seven: Ballroom

~Chapter 7: ballroom~  
  
Like Vegeta, Goku had also felt the house from a great distant. He just labelled it 'weird'. He was still strangely happy to Jack and Celine, but they had gotten used to it. Obviously he must have faced times worse than what he was to embark now. His ease and joy comforted everyone on board. Vegeta and Bulma on the other hand were getting kind of agitated by Goku's cheerfulness. Bulma had thought her decision of telling Vegeta that she was with child, over and over, and came to the conclusion that she would tell him as soon as they were normal again. They all landed in the garden, which was colourful to Vegeta and Bulma, but still dark to the living. As soon as Vegeta and Bulma walked inside of the mansion, their feet disappeared in the floor. They both realised that only things made by nature could be touched. On their way to Capsule Corp. they had encountered planes they could fly through but also trees they had to avoid after an unfortunate occasion. Goku laughed at the sight of the door lying on the ground. It was possible that Vegeta had been angry at it for not opening or just being in the way. All stepped in and made the dust swirl around again. Mr. Briefs pointed at the footprints. Goku nodded. His smile was replaced by a serious look. He felt more than just life, he felt evil. Not strong evil, but evil none the less. Being within the house was different. Goku sensed differently inside than outside and that made him, somehow, aware of nearing danger. The first thing he did was fly upstairs and open a door. There was a bed inside which had red curtains around it, concealing whatever the dark shadow was that was lying in bed. Goku softly slid the curtains aside. He too saw the body, it's head fallen on the floor, leaving the rest of the body under the sheets. He let go of the curtain and backed out of the room.  
  
'Let's go downstairs' he told himself while flying in that direction. This guy died in bed, but why was his head... someplace else? Would Vegeta or Bulma have something to do with this?  
  
Celine and Jack had already made their way to the music box in the ballroom. With the key they found on the floor, they opened the box. Goku walked inside, saw Bulma and Vegeta standing on the platform and laughed hysterically at them. This angered Vegeta much and he powered up.  
'Doesn't that baka see we are in way more trouble than that!?' Bulma shrugged, she thought the dress looked kind of cute on her. She just ignored Vegeta's anger and focused on Celine's actions. She was winding the key at the back of the music box. When she let go of the lever, the flesh and blood Vegeta and Bulma started dancing and soon started singing. Suddenly Bulma remembered the text plate:  
In order to break the spell completely  
You need to destroy the magical music box.  
'Vegeta! I know how to get out of this mess!' Vegeta looked at her. 'We could try and destroy the music box.'  
-'And how do you suppose we do that? Keep on walking through it until it gets tired of us and blows itself up?' She ignored his comment.  
'We have to contact Goku somehow and tell him to do it.' She looked at Goku and concentrated real hard. No response.  
  
Celine started speaking like she was telling a tale.  
'Long ago, a warlock made this box to capture life. One day he came to visit us here in this mansion, to demonstrate his dolls. We were all impressed by the life like puppets that danced before us. The fools we were then. Little did we know about the sorcerer's plan to lock us up and steal our house. I asked if we could have the music box. He would give it to us, if we were to say a few lines, as a pact. So we said the words, which are behind the dolls over there...' she pointed at a golden plate at the back of the box. 'We transformed into puppets and have been kept in that box for many years until they exchanged places with us.'  
'This warlock guy seems like a really sneaky fella.' Goku replied to Celine's story. Jack wondered if he actually had a brain. Celine didn't pay attention to Goku and kept on speaking.  
'There is a way to end the spell, but it can't bring them back. You see, the music box stores a soul. When you want to end the spell you would have to destroy the box. But when you do that it would also destroy that captured soul.'  
'Come on there has got to be another way to save them,' Said Goku, obviously not happy with this. He preferred to just go into battle. All this warlock nonsense was too big of a problem, which he couldn't solve by winning a fight.  
'They only way to save them would be to have us return to dolls and then destroy the box.' Goku shook his head.  
'No I can't ask that of you.'  
'I know, I don't like to die, but I think that is our best option. I would gladly...' Celine abruptly got broken of by an exclamation from Goku.  
  
'The dragonballs!' Celine and Jack frowned.  
'The what?' Jack said, still thinking that Goku was a real weirdo.  
'The dragonballs. We could bring you guys back by using the dragonballs. First you would trade places with Bulma and Vegeta, and then we wish you back by using the dragonballs.'  
'What are dragonballs?' Goku smiled.  
'Seven magic balls that you can use to make a wish. They can even be used to wish somebody back from the dead.'  
'Ok,' Celine said 'Let me think it over first.' Jack rushed over to Celine and took her aside.  
'What are you doing? You're not actually going to trust him? I don't think there are such things as dragonballs that can wish someone back from the dead. We can't believe what he's saying.'  
'I know, that is why I am thinking it over. Still, Jack, I think we should be up there and not them.'  
'What! And let ourselves be killed? I prefer to have a life before I die, Celine.'  
'Don't you see? We don't belong here in this world. Times have changed; we belong in the past, not in the future.' Jack sighed. She was right. They had been dolls for a very long time. Picking up their life was going to be hard, definitely now, when so many years have passed. Jack nodded.  
'Ok, let's do it. But I still don't think they can bring us back.'  
'No. But they don't have to.' Jack looked in her eyes and knew they were better of this way. He nodded again and faced Goku. 


	9. Chapter eight: Suicide mission

~Chapter 8: Suicide mission~  
  
~Yes, come to me...~  
  
Goku was confident everything was going to be okay. He looked at Celine and Jack who were standing in front of the music box. Before all of this he had promised that he would get them back to life. They both didn't seem to care about it, like the both of them felt they were going to die no matter what. Goku told them that it was no problem. They would say there their little verse, trade places with Bulma and Vegeta, He would search for the dragonballs, which wouldn't take for about three hours at most, and then they would summon the dragon and bring them back. Easy enough, nothing could go wrong.  
'I shall be wired to music  
I shall be a dancing prince' Jack said trembling over his words. Celine had no fear in her voice and said her line like it was normal.  
  
'I shall be wired to music  
  
I shall be a dancing princess'  
  
Vegeta and Bulma stepped of the platform, now moving suppler, and took them by the hand. Together they danced until Celine and Jack turned emotionless and had taken place on the platform. For Bulma and Vegeta the transition was to be called somewhat rough. It felt like they were pulled back into their bodies with great speed. They both gasped for air and coughed loudly. When Vegeta had caught his breath again he looked down at his clothes, he still wore the dolly outfit.  
'Argh, Damnit!' He cursed together with some other colourful words. When finally Bulma too had regained her breath control she looked at her own outfit.  
'Don't worry Vegeta, you'll get new armour as soon as we get home.' She glanced at her father. 'Right dad? You can make a new one for Vegeta can't you?' Her father nodded.  
'Yes dear.' She wanted to tell Vegeta that everything was okay now and wanted to tell him of the life inside of her, but he had already raised his hand towards the music box and lit up a small energy ball. Before she could say 'wait' he already pulverised the blue box to nothing but ash. Goku laughed.  
'Kami, Vegeta. You're in quite a hurry. Ok people let's go find the dragonballs.' They all nodded, except for Vegeta who just grunted. He stomped out of the ballroom with Bulma following his path. Goku and Mr. Briefs looked at them go.  
'Should I get you a dragonradar, Goku?' Mr Briefs said while he started walking in the direction of the door. Goku stopped him from going further.  
'Yes I need a dragonradar, but first, could you wait here for a few seconds? Your daughter has some important business to talk about with Vegeta.'  
  
'Vegeta!' She yelled at him. 'Vegeta, we need to talk.' He stopped walking, and turned around to face her. She walked up to him. He looked in her eyes and laid his hand on her stomach.  
'But how...' He didn't lose his serious look.  
'Bulma,' Her name. He was saying her name directly to her. 'I am going away for a while. I can't put my mind at fighting here. I need to train somewhere else.'  
'No! Why now? I am going through a very important phase here, and you just take off? No, I won't let you.' He gave her an angry glance.  
'I am going. You of all people can't stop me from doing so. I can't concentrate here. I need to become stronger and succeed in fulfilling my destiny as the Saiyan prince. I can't do that here. Definitely not now, with you and your child.'  
'It's your child too, you know!' Saying nothing, he turned around and flew off, towards Capsule Corporation. Where he was going, Bulma didn't know, but she did know that he would come back for her. Or at least to destroy the androids. Then she would be waiting for him. She turned around and stared at the door that lay on the floor.  
'I'll miss you.' She whispered softly to one of the last things that had felt his power. Now the stars would feel what he was capable of. She sighed.  
'Who will you miss?' She looked at Goku, who was stepping through the hole. But she didn't have to say anything to make Goku understand that it was Vegeta. How can that be? Isn't Vegeta going to be with her now? Didn't she tell him? With his mind still processing the time-line, he said they should be heading to Capsule Corp. to get the dragonradar. Bulma glanced at the horizon.  
'I suggest we search the balls tomorrow. It has been a long day. Let's rest first.' Goku agreed on this and they boarded the plane to go home. 


	10. Chapter nine: Dead or alive?

~Chapter 9: Dead or alive? ~  
  
'You're mine now!'  
  
Goku had left early in the morning to search for the dragonballs. He was way too exited to sleep, happy that there was finally something to do. Waiting for some androids to show up wasn't very interesting and summoning dragons was just what he needed to cheer up these 3 years. After he woke up Gohan and sneaked out of the house with him to not wake Chi-chi they had flown of to begin their hunt.  
  
Ms. Briefs had told Bulma, Vegeta had left Earth with one of the space- capsules. He had taken a small stash of food and the armour that Mr. Briefs was testing. It was a remoulded form of Vegeta's old one. The one she ordered to be replaced by a nice colourful pink shirt. She couldn't laugh about it this time. After lying in bed till 12 AM she had fallen out of bed, on purpose, to wake herself up and dragged herself down the stairs. Now she was trying to eat breakfast. It wasn't such a big deal; he was just gone for a couple of months. He would come back. At least that was what she hoped he would do. But somehow she felt he wasn't going to show his face to her ever again. When she finished eating breakfast, she pulled herself up from the chair and went to take a shower. She got herself soaked and thought things over. There was no time for sulking. She had to be strong, that was what Vegeta would do. She suddenly burst out into sobs.  
'It's not fair!' Slowly Bulma fell to the bathroom floor and cried. Her tears washed away by the water. 'It's not fair'.  
  
It wasn't hard to find all of the dragonballs. Except for a regrettable confrontation with a large bird, all went very well.  
'Say, dad, why do we need the dragonballs anyway? What happened when you were in the city? Did you crush someone? And now you have to bring him back?' Goku laughed.  
'No Gohan, that isn't what happened.' He grinned at his son, who was carrying three of the seven dragonballs. 'I ran into certain... people. I had quite an adventure. Saw Vegeta, Bulma and her father too, by the way.'  
'Bulma! How was she?'  
'She's okay now.' His son looked at him with confusion, but didn't ask more.  
  
'Mum, call me if Goku shows up. Okay?' Mrs Briefs nodded and worryingly asked if something was wrong. Bulma just said 'nothing' and hid herself in the iv-techroom. Tinkering with some new invention would do her good. She wasn't really sad that Vegeta left, she was just... depressed. She kept saying to herself that it was a side affect of being inside the music box. She hunted a few shelves and finally found a screwdriver. With that she randomly started poking an object that lay on the workbench.  
'Honey?' Mr Briefs entered the room. He walked over to Bulma and looked at what she was doing. She looked up from her 'work' and sighed.  
'Why are you destroying that modulator? I need it as an addition for the gravity pod.' 'Why? He isn't here to command you now. Why build on a better pod?' She stabbed it, leaving the screwdriver stuck in its casing. With anger she pulled hard to get the tool back, but with no luck so she sighed and looked at her father. 'I need some rest from all of it, kay? Can you just let me do what I need to?' Her father nodded.  
'Okay dear, but I just came to tell you that Goku is here.' He walked away petting the black cat on his shoulder. 'Come kitty, let's leave Bulma alone shall we.' Goku? So soon? That was quick. She stood up from the chair and ran towards the door.  
  
'Goku! You're getting fast in finding them. Did you find all of them?' Goku showed Bulma the four he was holding and pointed at his son, who was standing behind Bulma. She turned around and looked at the happy child.  
'Hey Bulma, What's up!' She smiled and said she was fine.  
'Well, what are we waiting for?' Goku said, impatiently waiting to summon the dragon. 'Let's wish 'em back!' Bulma turned around again.  
'Shouldn't we go to Kami's lookout and summon the dragon there? Kami knows a bit more about dragons than we do and that way no one knows about what we are doing here.'  
'Great idea Bulma.' Goku said and gave Bulma two dragonballs. 'Okay everyone, lay your hand on me. I'll get you there.' He gave the other two to Mr. and Mrs. Briefs and put his hand on Gohan's head. When everyone had grabbed a hold of Goku, they all began to flicker and vanished into thin air.  
  
'The garden looks lovely mister Popo.'  
'Oh, thank you Kami.' It was one of those lovely, relaxed days on the lookout. Popo was watering the plants and Kami was doing, what he was always doing, watching over earth by staring into the clouds underneath the lookout. Kami had sensed a little distress among his friends and the leaving of several Kis. Many normal deaths, two of them had to do something with Goku, which was saddening, since it could be a friend. He had felt that Vegeta had left Earth and sensed no more of him; he was out of his reach. He also felt a dreadful presence growing on earth. Kami thought this was the cause of the androids, whom were now in the making. But other than that everything was fine. He knew Goku was searching for the dragonballs and now he waited for the sky to turn black and the dragon to fill his senses. Suddenly he felt that Goku, his son and three other people were very close by. He turned around to face the spot where the sense came from and saw them stand close to the entrance of the hyperbolic-time-chamber.  
'You wish to summon the dragon here?' He asked them and they all nodded. After Goku had said hello to Kami and Mr. Popo he gathered the dragonballs and laid them on an open spot, close to the edge of the lookout. Then he asked Kami to call for the dragon and wish for Jack Landers and Celine Jinia Landers to return to life.  
'I would but I know not of whom you speak. Who are they?' Bulma looked at him with shock.  
'How can you not know that? You are the guardian of earth for Kami's sake!' He gave a strange look on her use of words and continued.  
'I have only felt your distress and the leaving of two certain souls. Are you implying those two were this Celine and Jack?' Goku said yes and told him of the things that happened. Kami was quite surprised by all of this. But then he got a serious look on his face again.  
'I believe, if what you are saying is true, that the dragon wouldn't be able to bring them back. They come from a different timeline, and should have been dead ages ago. That is probably why I do not know about them. You can try to bring them back, but I'm afraid that it won't do much good.' The entire group was saddened by this news.  
'No!' Goku shouted. 'There is hope. If there is a chance to get them back we should take it!' Kami gave an agreeing look, walked towards the 7 shining, yellow balls and raised his hands above them. After speaking some words that couldn't be heard, because Gohan was jumping up and down out of excitement and Goku was ranting on how great it was to do this again. Even through all of this Kami could keep his concentration well and succeeded in having the dragon up in the air. With a low voice he began to speak.  
'You have awakened me from my sleep. You have three wishes.' The dragon saw Bulma and sweat dropped. She just smiled at him.  
'Dragon, we wish to bring back Celine and Jack Landers, is that possible?' The big green monstrosity forked his eyebrows as if he was thinking really hard. After a few painfully silent seconds he answered.  
'According to my memory, they passed away two centuries ago. The way they died is still unknown.' Bulma got a little agitated by this.  
'What is it with you people? Does everyone NOT know what is going on?' The dragon ignored her comment and kept on talking.  
'I cannot bring them back, they have died to long ago.'  
'Thank you dragon. You may spread out now, we are not in need of you services any longer.' The dragon said what Kami told him to: He shrank back in the balls, they flew up in the air and all seven of them took of to a different direction. Bulma sighed.  
'We couldn't keep our promise.' 


	11. Epilogue: When it's over

~Epilogue: When it's over~  
  
'What did you do to me?!'  
  
Goku wanted Kami to contact King Kai, so he had followed the 'order' and told King Kai about what had happened. Goku wanted King Kai to contact Jack and Celine and tell them about the time difference and that they could not be wished back. King Kai had done all of this not really pointing out the fact that they were 'normal humans' and that usually they were not supposed to be contacted once they were dead. Celine and Jack were fine with what King Kai had told them. They were not sad they had died; they said it had been their time years ago and so they were at peace. After King Kai told everyone a joke, they all said goodbye to each other. Once this was done Goku had returned the Briefs Family to Capsule Corp. and then returned home himself. He was lectured severely by his wife, who was quite worried about him and Gohan. Gohan mostly, because he didn't study, but went dragonball hunting instead. Chi-chi told Gohan to go to his room and hit the books, but later told him he could go and fish with Piccolo and Goku. Bulma was happy tinkering with some machinery. She was making a toy for her unborn child. The fact that Vegeta was gone didn't seem to matter that much anymore. Maybe it was better for her to be alone. It was obvious that Yamcha was wrong for her. And now it proved that maybe Vegeta wasn't Prince Charming either. But no matter what was going on his head, she knew that he had to come back. The androids were to great a fight, which he couldn't refuse, since he was what he was, Vegeta: Prince of Saiyans. 


End file.
